Laura Kovach is the kind of person who likes to give the gift of an experience. In 2001, the Naperville resident worked on an idea for a Christmas elf doll to serve as Santa’s eyes and ears before Christmas.
She planned 24 days of magic and mischief to go along with the elf — a perfect gift for her nieces and nephews. The only problem was that she couldn’t find an elf.
Kovach shared the idea with her friend Lori Connelly, whom she met while they were both on their honeymoon in Hawaii 20 years before. Connelly, who had one child, thought the idea was something many children would enjoy.
Exploring the idea further, the friends went to a trade show where they found a man who was able to make the elf Kovach was looking for.
“It felt like all the pieces were falling into place,” Kovach says. Shortly after that, the two women and their husbands were brainstorming a name for their new company.
“I don’t remember who said it, but all of a sudden, there it was,” Kovach says. North Pole Magic was born.
Once the elf designs were chosen, the activity calendar was written and the elf notes were created, Connelly took the elves out on the road to craft shows. While they managed a few sales, most people overlooked the elves as just another Christmas decoration.
“We needed a captive audience,” Connelly says.
With the help of family and friends, Kovach and Connelly got the word out through home parties, similar to Pampered Chef. Speaking to a room full of mothers, Santa’s helpers were able to explain how the elves would work. Home parties also kept the elves more magical for the children they would watch over.
“If the kids see the elves in the store, it takes away its believability,” Connelly says.
When a parent purchases a sleigh ticket, a letter is sent from the North Pole to the children who will receive an elf. The letter tells the children the elf’s name, his job at the North Pole and that he will be observing the child during his visit.
The elves are dropped off by Santa on Dec. 1. While the elves all look similar, they have different hair colors and skin tones for both boy and girl elves, which along with the elf’s name and occupation, is chosen by the parents.
The children are encouraged to play with their elf and include him in their day, and elves promise Santa that they will not use any magic while the children are around. However, the elves can and usually will perform magic while the children are asleep at night and leave a note for the children every morning.
“When the kids start telling other kids at school about the elves and what they are doing, the moms start calling and asking where they can find one of these elves,” Connelly says.
The elves stay with the children until the evening of Dec. 24, when they go back home with Santa.
“The kids have such an emotional attachment to the elves,” says Connelly, who often sees North Pole Magic elves with children in stores and at church. While the children are sad to see their friend go, they know that he will be back next year.
North Pole Magic elves can be found online and at their warehouse store in St. Charles. While many of Santa’s elves visit Naperville and the surrounding area, the elves have received sleigh tickets to go to every state in the U.S. and to Europe.
From a parent’s perspective, the elves have one magical trait that is truly a gift from the North Pole. Even when a child starts to question Santa, the elves help them believe in magic just a little while longer.
